CYPRUS: More reception centres to open under asylum influx

Cyprus will set up more refugee reception centres with a capacity of about 1000 persons to tackle a spike in irregular migration, Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides said.

Petrides said that infrastructure for refugees at the Kofinou Reception and Accommodation Centre has been greatly improved.

The Centre now accommodates 330 people despite the fact that it has a capacity of 400.

He said not all asylum seekers could be accommodated in reception centres, as there are currently 15,000 in Cyprus, with another 15,000 being given protection status with an effort to integrate them into the labour market.

"With EU assistance we are planning to set up one or two more reception centres with a capacity of around 1000 people,” said Petrides.

“…There is an action plan on which we have agreed with the EU so as to move forward," he added.

At the same time, he noted that there’s a limit to the number of refugees that a small countries like Cyprus can manage.

"Small countries such as Cyprus or other countries at the EU borders close to difficult areas such as the Middle East, cannot take all the refugee burden."

He added that there’s a need for a more active EU role to ensure security and prosperity in the countries of origin such as Syria.

Petrides pointed out that the Dublin Regulation could not only burden frontline countries with obligations, but there should be a revision and introduction of an automatic distribution mechanism in all EU countries and more readmission agreements with third countries.

The Minister said there’s a need to improve procedures followed by the Ministry and that a number of measures have been taken at national level and in cooperation with the European asylum system to speed up asylum procedures and improve conditions in the reception areas.

Cyprus has one of the highest ratios of asylum claims in Europe.